The Brillion School Board announced Monday that special education programs in Brillion will receive stimulus money that will be spent during the 2009-2010 school year.

    The Brillion school district will receive $230,000 from what Dominick Madison, Brillion public schools district administrator, called IDEA funding.  The money was given to the district as part of the stimulus bill.  

    The IDEA funding comes from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004, whose purpose was to help educational needs of those with disabilities, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

    The government requires that the money be spent on special education programs and items relating to it.  Half of the money can be accessed now and the other half can be accessed in October. Brillion schools must spend the stimulus money by the end of 2011, but the bulk of it will be spent this coming school year, Madison said.  

    “The government needed to build capacity in a program area.  They probably chose special education because the program area already existed and they wanted to get the stimulus money out there right away.  They didn’t have time to create a new program area,” Madison said.  

    How to spend the money within the special education department was also a discussion topic at the meeting. Some say the district should not spend the money they normally put toward special education, but rather they should use only the government stimulus money; Madison disagrees.

    “When the district spends money on the special education program, they get 28 cents back for every dollar spent.  If we use the government’s stimulus money and not our regular fund, we don’t get the 28 cents back.  We will end up losing money,” the district administrator said.

    The IDEA funding will be spent in three ways within the Brillion school district: in construction and remodeling, technology and staff training and planning.

    Madison explained that the school board is unsure about how much of the $230,000 will be spent in each of the three areas. Remodeling the bathrooms to allow easier access for special needs children is one of the districts priorities.  New computers and printers will be purchased along with software that will aid in special education.  Staff training and planning is also a top priority.

Share Link: